Cole Strange - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Notes: Offensive Line, Wilson, Strange

August 8th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

AUGUST 8: New England’s entire starting offense is taking part in tonight’s preseason game, and as Kyed notes, that unit includes Wilson handling left guard duties. It will be interesting to see how he fares in his first NFL game action, while Strange’s workload when the backups enter the contest will also be something to monitor.

AUGUST 6: The Patriots’ offensive line is starting to take shape, and it could end up leading to a relatively surprising cut. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald recently observed that rookie third-round pick Jared Wilson appears to be penciled in as New England’s starting left guard.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss echoed Kyed’s report, noting that Wilson has impressed teammates and coaches with his ability to slow down some of the team’s top interior defensive linemen. Reiss also notes that Wilson’s athleticism could be particularly useful in Josh McDaniels‘ system, which often sees the offense pull the guard.

If Wilson does end up sticking at LG, that means the Patriots will be relying on a pair of inexperienced linemen to protect Drake Maye‘s blindside. Wilson would be lining up next to fourth-overall pick Will Campbell, a configuration that could make some fans queasy. However, it sounds like the two rookies are embracing the unexpected challenge.

“We just talk about how fun it’s going to be,” Wilson said of playing next to Campbell (via Karen Guregian of MassLive.com). “Like you said, there are two rookies next to each other, left guard and left tackle, on the blindside. We know it’s going to be a challenge every day. Teams are going to bring their best to us. Just got to be ready.”

With Wilson reportedly claiming one of the spots on the offensive line, the team’s starting configuration is coming into focus. In addition to the two rookies, it sounds like veteran Garrett Bradbury will man the center spot with tackle Morgan Moses and guard Michael Onwenu handling the right side. That means former first-round pick Cole Strange will be without a role, and that could ultimately cost the lineman his spot on the team.

Kyed wrote recently that Strange could be among the team’s surprise cuts, especially since the impending fourth-year player is struggling to establish himself at guard and center. Strange was already a reach when the Bill Belichick-led regime selected him with the 29th-overall pick in the 2022 draft, and the Chattanooga product hasn’t done much to reward the iconic coach’s faith.

After starting all 17 games as a rookie, Strange was limited to 10 games as a sophomore thanks to a torn patellar tendon. He started the 2024 campaign on the PUP list and ended up finishing last season with only three appearances. The team’s recent investment in the offensive line — both via the draft and free agency — already indicated that Strange was on the outside looking in. While the 27-year-old entered training camp penciled into the starting lineup, it now sounds like he’s fighting for a roster spot.

Strange’s roster spot might also be in doubt because of the versatility of some of his teammates. As Kyed recently noted, Caedan Wallace has been playing some offensive guard throughout training camp. The 2024 third-round pick spent the majority of his rookie campaign playing offensive tackle, but his ability to play multiple positions could make players like Strange expendable.

Cole Strange Leading Patriots’ LG Battle

June 26th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots’ 2025 offensive line is largely set with Will Campbell at left tackle, Garrett Bradbury at center, Michael Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle.

The only spot without a clear starter is left guard, where Cole Strange “appears to be the front-runner” coming out of spring practices, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. The 2022 first-rounder started every game at left guard as a rookie and 10 of the team’s first 15 games in 2023 before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee. The injury sidelined him until December 2024, when he was able to start at center for the Patriots’ last two games of the season.

With Bradbury arriving this offseason on a two-year, $9.5MM contract, Strange is returning to his original position where he faces plenty of competition. Sidy Sow, Layden Robinson, and Tyrese Robinson all took first-team reps this spring, per Volin, suggesting that the battle for the starting job will continue well into training camp.

Sow, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started 13 games at right guard as a rookie and profiles as the biggest threat to Strange. Sow was set to start at left guard in 2024 before a preseason ankle injury sidelined him for the first three games. He played every snap at left guard in Week 4, but did not start another game for the rest of the season.

Layden Robinson was drafted in the fourth round last year and closed out his rookie season with five starts at left guard. He bears no relation to Tyrese Robinson, a 2022 undrafted free agent who made his NFL debut in 2024 with Week 18 action for the Patriots at right guard.

Patriots third-round rookie Jared Wilson was described as a “wild card” by Volin, but he rarely lined up at guard in college and missed spring practices with an injury. That will severely lessen the former Bulldog’s chances of winning a starting job as a rookie; overall, Wilson seems more likely to take over from Bradbury at center in 2026 or 2027.

Patriots Rumors: Moses, LG, UDFAs

May 25th, 2025 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

At 34 years old, Morgan Moses is still playing at a level that garners the three-year, $24MM deal he signed with the Patriots. If he’s able to play out the entirety of his contract, he’ll be 37 years old when he hits free agency again; for reference, the oldest offensive tackle currently in the NFL is Trent Williams at 36.

One usually doesn’t make it this long in the NFL without a couple of bumps and bruises along the way. After only playing eight games as a rookie, Moses played in every game of every season for eight straight years. His past two seasons in Baltimore and New York, though, saw him miss three games apiece as Father Time starts to catch up to him. After missing two games early last year, Moses reportedly played through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for several weeks.

Moses was reportedly “given a clean bill of health” from the Jets’ medical staff before free agency, and according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, that came following some offseason knee surgery. As he comes back from surgery, Moses has not been participating in full-team drills at practice. Still, he’s been plenty involved despite not practicing, mentoring rookie first-round tackle out of LSU Will Cambell, who it’s presumed will be starting opposite him in Week 1.

Here are a couple other rumors coming out of New England lately:

Last season, the left guard position became a major question for New England as Cole Strange missed all but the team’s last three games with injury and the Patriots fluctuated between Michael Jordan and Layden Robinson in his absence. Even when Strange returned from injury, he filled a need at center instead of returning to left guard. So far in early practices, that uncertainty has remained. With free agent signing Garrett Bradbury taking the center job, Strange can move back to left guard. So far, Strange has shared the position with free agent addition Wes Schweitzer, and undrafted free agent Jack Conley out of Boston College, per Reiss. Robinson is currently not a full participant, but he, too, could end up competing for the job. It’s early, but there are several potential options for the team at that position.
While we did cover a couple of the Patriots’ top undrafted earners (Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III and UC Davis running back Lan Larison) when they announced those signings, Reiss provided some info on a few more that we were not aware of at the time. Per Reiss, Alabama tight end C.J. Dippre earned the highest guaranteed total ($264K), followed by Chism ($259K), North Carolina defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie ($218K), Larison ($175K), Cal Poly edge rusher Elijah Ponder ($115K), Conley ($110K), and Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. ($95K).

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($17.6MM): Exercised
LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Patriots To Decline G Cole Strange’s Fifth-Year Option

April 30th, 2025 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots’ Cole Strange pick generated scrutiny at the time for being a reach, and the young guard has yet to justify his first-round selection. New England will now shift Strange into a contract year.

As expected, Strange will not see his fifth-year option exercised, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. That would have brought a $16.69MM fully guaranteed 2026 salary, making it essentially a non-starter for the Pats.

Teams have less than 24 hours to make their fifth-year option calls, which has brought a flurry of updates on this front Wednesday. But Strange’s never appeared in doubt. He missed seven games in 2023 and 14 last season. A patellar tendon tear ended Strange’s sophomore season, and he did not return until December 2024. The Pats activated Strange from the reserve/PUP list in early December but did not give him an offensive snap until Week 17 more than two weeks later.

New England did, however, reinstall Strange as a starter — at center — to close last season. The pre-draft plan had been for the Chattanooga product to enter the offseason as a starter (back at left guard) as well. While that may still be a go, New England drafted Georgia interior O-lineman Jared Wilson in Round 3. Wilson is listed as a center, but a quicker path to the starting lineup may be at guard, where Strange has proven unreliable. The Pats signed Garrett Bradbury shortly after his Vikings release.

The Pats traded down from No. 22 (via the Chiefs, who climbed up for Trent McDuffie) in 2022, landing on Strange at 30 in Bill Belichick‘s penultimate draft running the team. Strange was not mocked as a first-rounder that year, but he started 17 games at left guard for the ’22 Pats. With the Morgan Moses signing set to entrench Michael Onwenu at right guard, the team will carry a left guard question into training camp.

For now, however, Strange will aim to prove he can hold down the gig. Doing so would put him on a path to free agency, though the Patriots will retain exclusive negotiating rights with the soon-to-be 27-year-old blocker until the 2026 legal tampering period. Strange has plenty to prove between now and then, but with the guard market taking off in free agency, he could secure a nice payday by staying healthy in 2025.

Patriots Rumors: Campbell, Strange, Carter

April 11th, 2025 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots have their right tackle position locked down with Morgan Moses on a three-year deal, despite his advanced age of 34 years old. After uninspiring performances in 2024 from Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace, the team still has questions at the left tackle position.

New head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t give up on Lowe and Wallace, claiming both players would get opportunities to win the job, but he noted that the 2025 NFL Draft would “be a good option” to address the position. Per Karen Guregian of Mass Live, Vrabel said that there are players “at a lot of different levels” that the team likes.

With the No. 4 overall pick, New England is going to have their pick of the litter after a presumed 1-2-3 of Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, and Travis Hunter. There’s a chance that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders sneaks in there and allows Carter or Hunter to fall to the Patriots, but likely, those three will be off the board and New England will make the first unexpected pick of the draft.

They’ve been connected to players like Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker or Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, but if they decide to use that pick to address the left tackle situation, they reportedly view LSU’s Will Campbell as an option at No. 4 overall. Campbell drew early criticism in the pre-draft process for a lack of length with a below-average 32 5/8-inch arm measurement, but according to Field Yates of ESPN, scouts really don’t view Campbell’s arm length as an issue that could prevent him from becoming a really good left tackle in the NFL.

Here are a few more rumors out of New England concerning the subject:

Despite watching rookie fourth-round guard Layden Robinson struggle as the team’s starting left guard for much of the 2024 season, the team won’t likely feel the need to address that position in the draft. After only playing in three games last year due to injury, Cole Strange is expected to enter the offseason as the team’s starter at the position, per Christopher Price of The Boston Globe. Strange showed major improvement in 2023 after a rough rookie campaign, but injuries have limited him to only 13 games in the past two seasons.
While it may end up being for naught, the Patriots are hosting Carter out of Penn State on a top-30 visit this coming Monday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Carter is only taking visits with teams in the top 4 picks (Titans, Browns, Giants, and Patriots), so it stands to reason that if he falls past the first three picks, he’d be an easy selection for New England to make at fourth overall.

Patriots Activate Cole Strange From PUP List

December 10th, 2024 at 6:14pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots are activating offensive lineman Cole Strange from the Physically Unable to Perform list, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee last December, sidelining him for almost a year. He returned to practice on November 20, so his 21-day practice window was set to close this week. Rather than allow him to revert to the PUP list for the rest of the season, the Patriots will move their 2022 first-round pick to the active roster as they determine his immediate playing future.

New England has shuffled their offensive line a number of times this season. Chukwuma Okorafor left the team in September while David Andrews, Jake Andrews, and Caedan Wallace all landed on injured reserve with long-term injuries. Andrews is out for the season, while Wallace was designated to return on Monday. Mike Onwenu has also played 329 snaps at right tackle and 522 at right guard.

Strange’s return will give the Patriots another option along the interior for the rest of the year. At 3-10, they’re no longer fighting for a playoff spot, but rookie quarterback Drake Maye could still take crucial developmental steps over their last four games. Making sure he can get the most out of his rookie year – and ensuring he’s healthy going into his first full NFL offseason – are top priorities for the a rebuilding New England franchise.

All 27 of Strange’s starts over his first two seasons came at left guard, but he could also land at right guard or center upon his return. Left guard still seems like the most likely spot; Onwenu and Ben Brown have both started at right guard and center for the team’s last six games, while Layden Robinson just moved to left guard in Week 13.

Evaluating Strange’s effectiveness coming off of last year’s injury and a lengthy recovery will be crucial to New England’s upcoming fifth-year option decision. Strange’s fully-guaranteed fifth-year option is projected to be $17.4MM after this offseason’s explosion in the guard market, per OverTheCap. That would rank eighth in average annual value among current guard contracts, a hefty sum for a player who has yet to prove that he is one of the best at his position.

Patriots Rumors: Strange, Robinson, Peppers

December 1st, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Patriots interior offensive lineman Cole Strange has yet to make his 2024 season debut, but when he does, it may not be in the same position he has been playing for New England in the early years of his career. Though the team designated Strange to return from the reserve/physically unable to perform list back on November 20, he has been unable to be activated to date. Despite the delay, head coach Jerod Mayo claims that “the plan remains for Strange to play this season,” per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

The 2022 first-round pick has started 27 games in his first two seasons with the team, all at left guard. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has insisted that upon his return, Strange will get looks at all three interior positions. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald provided the report that Strange would be tried at left guard, center, and right guard over the next few weeks. Kyed later provided an update that the focus will be moving Strange to center.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of New England:

The Patriots have been starting Michael Jordan at left guard, but after waiving the veteran lineman and signing him to the practice squad this week, it became apparent that a change was in the works. Reiss was the first to report early this morning that replacing Jordan in the starting lineup today would be fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson. The Texas A&M-product played only right guard in college and in the first six starts of his career this year, but Jordan’s demotion opened the door for Robinson to make a move on the left guard position. With little to play for in the rest of this season, New England will have a chance to evaluate whether or not Robinson has a future on the left side of the line.
The latest on the domestic violence charges facing Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers came last week. Per Reiss, the hearing for the case was completed on November 22. The next key date for the case will reportedly be a jury trial set for January 22.

Patriots Designate Cole Strange For Return

November 20th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Sam Robinson

It looks like the Patriots will work Cole Strange back into action during Drake Maye‘s rookie season. The team’s 2022 first-round pick is set to practice Wednesday, Jerod Mayo said.

This will mark the start of Strange’s 21-day activation window from the reserve/PUP list, which the veteran guard has resided on throughout the season. Strange has been working his way back from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. This comes after a Mike Reiss ESPN.com offering indicated the third-year lineman is indeed in the homestretch of his recovery, pointing to an activation coming soon.

Playing exclusively at left guard during his first two seasons with the Pats, Strange has not yet justified his higher-than-expected draft slot. The Patriots chose Strange 29th overall and used him as a 17-game starter in 2022, but injury trouble surfaced last year. Strange missed four of New England’s first six games last season and then ended up shut down for their final three due to the severe knee malady he sustained.

Mayo had said Strange could see center work previously, and the rookie HC again did not rule this out. The Patriots have been without David Andrews for most of this season; the Tom Brady-era blocker is down for the rest of the year. Though, Mayo said (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) the team wants to see Strange go through some practices before determining his position.

Not logging a snap anywhere else up front during his first two seasons, the young left guard returning would certainly boost a Pats line that has experienced staffing issues — particularly at center and left tackle — this season. The Patriots have given Michael Jordan the bulk of the work at LG this season; Pro Football Focus has rated both he and rookie Layden Robinson among the worst guard regulars this season. The team has also tried Michael Onwenu at left guard in recent practices, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. Onwenu has moved around the Pats’ O-line during his career but has concentrated on the right side, splitting his time between RG and RT in games this season.

Strange’s return should help the Pats settle on an Onwenu position, at long last. Although Mayo said third-round rookie Caedan Wallace was not yet ready to practice, a return before season’s end is expected. Wallace is eligible to come off IR, where he has resided since early October due to an ankle injury.

Patriots Notes: Belichick, Barmore, OL Changes, QB, Osborn

October 23rd, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

When the Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick following the 2023 campaign, the divorce was described as an “amicable” and “mutual” decision. However, during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club podcast, owner Robert Kraft made it pretty clear that it was his decision to move on from the iconic head coach.

“I kept him for 24 years,” Kraft said (via Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe). “I didn’t enjoy having to fire him, but I tried to do it – if you look at the press conference and how it happened, tried to do it in a classy way.”

“What he did for us was great. People need to adapt. People need to adapt and if they don’t, things can change. In life, it’s about getting good chemistry and trust and I feel that our record the last three or four years wasn’t what I wanted.”

Belichick generally drew much of the blame for the organization’s post-Tom Brady decline. The team didn’t bottom out right away; in fact, they won 10 games and made the postseason with a rookie Mac Jones during the 2021 campaign. However, following a 4-13 showing in 2023 (the team’s worst showing since 1992), Kraft decided to make Belichick the scapegoat and move on from the franchise stalwart.

With Belichick now hitting the media circuit, the former coach has generally been pretty reserved when discussing his former club. That changed this past week, when Belichick appeared on Jim Gray’s Let’s Go! podcast alongside Brady. The future Hall of Fame coach was especially critical of new head coach Jerod Mayo‘s assertion that his 1-6 squad was “soft,” and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wonders if Belichick may be changing his tune following Kraft’s aforementioned quotes.

More notes out of New England…

After Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots in July, the Patriots had been bracing for a potential full-season absence for the starting defensive lineman. Fortunately, there may be some good news on that front, with Mayo telling reporters that the former second-round pick was “progressing” in his recovery (via Kyed). Mayo even admitted that he’s changed his stance on Barmore’s 2024 availability, with the head coach stating that the DT could end up seeing the field at some point this season.
Michael Onwenu started the season as the Patriots right tackle but has seen an uptick in playing time at right guard in recent weeks. Offensive line coach Scott
Peters said he hopes the change is permanent, although the former sixth-round pick’s position will continue to be dependent on his teammates’ availability (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss). The team is bracing for another position change on their OL, as former first-round guard Cole Strange could see snaps at center when he’s activated from PUP (via Kyed). The lineman has missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from a knee injury.
While the Patriots always seemed to hint that Drake Maye would eventually take over for veteran seat warmer Jacoby Brissett, the staff hastily made the change ahead of the team’s Week 6 contest. Brissett told reporters that he wasn’t told of the team’s definitive 2024 plans at the position (via Kyed), although he did seem to hint that he knew he’d eventually hit the bench for his rookie teammate. Brissett tossed a pair of touchdowns in his five starts, while Maye has already found the end zone five times in two starts.
Mayo admitted to reporters that offseason acquisition K.J. Osborn was likely frustrated with his role in New England, per Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal. The former Vikings draft pick led the position in snaps for the first four weeks of the season, but after returning in Week 7 following a two-game absence, the veteran found himself behind all of Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, and Ja’Lynn Polk (Osborn had two more snaps than fellow wideout Demario Douglas). In five games this season, Osborn has hauled in seven catches for 57 yards and one touchdown.